Process of treating balsa wood to produce floats.



RUDOLF HOLZAIFEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

iOFFIG,

PROCESS OF TREATING BALSA WOOD TO PRODUCE FLOATS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RrmoLr HOLZAPFEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Treating Balsa Wood to Produce Floats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process of treating balsa wood for producing floats for use in carbureters, and water cisterns, or the like, While in no sense restricted to these uses.

Balsa wood is extremely light, being only slightly heavier than cork. It is also compact and free from small holes and inequalities found in cork.

vIn Reissue Letters Patent No. 13,952, granted under date of July 27, 1915, to Robert A. Marr, there is disclosed a process for treating balsa wood, to render the same water-proof. In this process, the balsa wood is subjected to a bath comprising paraflin, rosin, and diatomaceous earth, with or without Paris green and a dye. The bath is heated to about 250 F., and the balsa wood is introduced therein. The temperature is then allowed to drop to about 180 to 200 F. subsequently to which the balsa wood is removed therefrom. During this treatment, the water in the balsa wood is converted into steam, and expelled therefrom, while the balsa Wood becomes, to some extent, impregnated with the parafiin.

In the production of floats for carbureters, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of my process, I first subject the balsa wood to the action of the bath containing parafiin wax and rosin, in the presence of heat, substantially as set forth in the Manpatent, above referred to. Subsequently to this treatment, the balsa wood is then immersed in linseed oil, and finally coated with varnish, such as a shellac varnish. In applying the varnish to the balsa wood, thus treated, I prefer to first dip the float into a weak solution of the varnish, and subsequently dip the same for three or four times into a strong solution of the varnish. This strong solution preferably consists of 1 part by weight of shellac or other suitable gum, to 3 parts by weight of alcohol, such as denatured spirit or wood alcohol. This coating of varnish is allowed to thoroughly dry.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed January 25, 1918. Serial No. 213,772.

In the production of floats for the Water cisterns, the balsa wood is first subjected to the action of the composition containing paraflin wax, as herein above stated, and is then subjected to the action of linseed oil. Finally the float thus treated is varnished or painted, with a paint or varnish whichis ilnsoluble in water, and allowed to thoroughly It is to be understoodthat the forms of -my invention are to; be taken as pref-erred claim 1. The process of producing floats, which consists in treating balsa wood with a waterproofing composition, then subject-ing it to treatment with oil, and finally coating 'it with a liquid coating composition.

2. The" process of producing float-s, which consists in subjecting balsa wood to the action of a water-proofing composition comprising paraflin, then subjecting it to treatment with linseed oil, and finally coating it with a liquid coating composition insoluble in the liquid in which the float is to be used.

3. The herein described process of producing floats, which consists in heating balsa wood to a temperature of about 250 F. in the presence of a water-proofing composition comprising paraffin, then treating the thus treated material with linseed ,oil, and finally applying thereto a coating of water-proof liquid coating material.

4. The process of producing floats for use in carburetors, which comprises subjecting balsa wood at an elevated temperature to the action of a water-proofing material comprising parafiin, then treating the thus treated material with linseed oil, and finally applying varnish to the thus treated material.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

RUDOLF HOLZAPFEL.

Witnesses:

C. B. WILKES, GEO. F. Booss. 

